1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hand protector usable on the ends of a vehicle handlebar for protecting the hands of the driver and more particularly, to a novel hand protector having retaining means cooperating with a conventional handgrip for retaining the hand protector on the handlebar.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
In the past, handgrips have been provided on the opposite ends of a vehicle handlebar such as a bicycle or motorcycle which are readily grasped by the driver during the riding thereof. At times, the driver may ride through obstacles such as underbrush or bushes and at other times, his vehicle may spill or slide causing his hands to become injured or damaged upon impact and sliding across a roadway. During such a mishap, it is generally to the driver's advantage to grasp the handlebar handgrips and to maintain this grasp in order to control the vehicle as much as possible.
Some attempts have been made in the past to protect the driver's hands in the event of such mishaps which include special handgrips incorporating outwardly projecting guards which are slidably engaged with the ends of the handlebar. In other instances, U-shaped guards or handles are attached to the handlegrip and handlebar by means of solid fasteners such as screws or rivets. Problems and difficulties have been encountered in this latter instance which are due largely to the fact that the guard is extremely rigid and if caught on an obstruction, the tendency would be to further restrict the driver's control over the vehicle. In other instances, the retaining means for the hand protector or guard includes complicated fasteners which require tools for installation and which are difficult to remove because of corrosion and rust accumulations.
Therefore, a long standing need has existed to provide a novel handgrip guard which may be readily installed onto a handlebar terminating end without the use of special tools or fasteners and which will not disturb or require a special handgrip.